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Carillion report release as mismanagement of board and culture slammed; project report: Mace releases its London party trick with Can Of Ham development; special report: Demolition – why deconstruction is trending, and how specialist contractors are increasingly taking on more responsibilities.

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A endangered Victorian bridge, a WWII restoration, a Heathrow hanger refurb and a reburied king’s exhibition were among the exacting challenges faced by these finalists.

Balfour Beatty – Victoria Bridge, Bath

Crossing the River Avon in Bath, Victoria Bridge was the first taper suspension bridge ever built in 1836.

Bath & North East Somerset Council recorded significant structural failings in 2011, which could have resulted in sudden collapse.

After installing a temporary truss to maintain access, Balfour Beatty won the job to refurbish the structure.

The team removed, refurbished and reinstalled the superstructure, adding new steel components to bring it up to modern standards, while also constructing new backspan foundations and carrying out heritage works on the towers.

Road closures were carefully managed and minimised, with no reportable incidents recorded.

The M25’s QEII Bridge at Dartford carries around 150,000 vehicles per day, and six key Maurer expansion joints that span the width of the bridge were coming to the end of their design life and needed replacing.

Due to its importance to the transport network, lane closures were only practicable for short night-time periods, with continuity of traffic flow essential.

Ordinarily, joint replacement would require an intensive programme of work carried out under full closures, but this was not possible. Instead, an over-ramp system was designed, allowing joints to be replaced.

Within one month of this project’s completion, Littlehaven’s new sea defences protected it from a one-in-450-year storm.

The project realigned the existing seawall landwards, widening the beach in the process, and also created a curved promenade and concrete stepped apron to enhance protection and complement the landscape.

With public art and landscaping also included, the sea defences have helped in the regeneration of Littlehaven, creating “a place where people choose to live, work and visit”, according to client South Tyneside Council.

John F Hunt Demolition – 48 Leicester Square

The redevelopment of Fanum House at 48 Leicester Square required the demolition of a prominent 18,000 sq m, nine-storey structure to the west side of this very busy public space.

The proposal called for internal demolition while retaining the building’s Portland Stone façade, so John F Hunt Demolition constructed a complex four-sided freestanding façade retention scheme, thought to be one of the largest of its type in London.

The project was completed on time and to budget, with no reportable incidents.

Morgan Sindall carried out the first major refurbishment of Technical Building J, constructed for the maintenance of British Airways’ fleet at Heathrow in 1969.

A strict security environment created challenges, with innovations including a ‘flexiscreen’ curtain to separate the work and operational areas within the hangar, as well as explosion detection devices in case of aircraft fuel issues.

The 18-month programme had two critical phased deadlines, both of which were achieved ahead of schedule, while value engineering ensured the project came in under budget.

Willmott Dixon Construction – Bolton Market refurbishment

Opening in the 1930s, Bolton Market is one of the UK’s oldest food markets and attracts thousands of tourists each year.

The project was designed to restore failing buildings while upgrading the market’s operations and was completed within programme, budget, quality and health and safety standards.

A tight budget initially made the client’s ambitious aims seem difficult to achieve, but close collaboration and careful costing and design achieved a successful outcome.

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